1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to integrated circuits (ICs), and more specifically to a technique for maintaining an optimum voltage supply to match the performance of an IC.
2. Related Art
Integrated circuits (ICs) generally require a supply voltage for operation. As is well known, signal propagation (of analog or digital signals) in an IC may be associated with a delay depending generally on factors such as process variations during fabrication of the IC, power supply voltage, and operating/junction temperature. Such signal propagation delays generally characterize the “performance” of an IC, often termed as silicon performance (delay performance).
As an illustration, a high supply voltage generally leads to low propagation delays generally permitting a higher frequency of operation, but at the cost of higher power consumption. On the other hand, a low supply voltage leads to lower power consumption, but may cause higher propagation delays and a correspondingly lower frequency of operation. Such delays (in general, the performance of an IC) vary depending also on other factors such as those noted above.
There is a recognized need to provide an optimal power supply voltage to an IC matching the performance of the IC, such that power consumption is minimized while still ensuring that a desired frequency of operation is supported. Further, it is also desirable to maintain the power supply at correspondingly optimal levels in spite of performance variations during operation of the IC.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.